Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio: From cliff to contentment with bowl-clinching win

"We were standing on a cliff and the players responded under pressure,'' Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio

Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio said his team was on a cliff playing Minnesota last Saturday.AP Photo

EAST LANSING — Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio described a feeling of "contentment" among his football team following the Spartans' 26-10 victory over Minnesota on Saturday.

The win enabled Michigan State (6-6) to extend its school-record bowl streak to six seasons.

The Spartans are very likely headed for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., though there is an unlikely — extremely unlikely, but technically possible — chance that MSU could play in the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl.

Dantonio, leaving no stone unturned, said the Spartans have a plan for both of the bowls.

"We've looked at all of the possible bowl scenarios, so (director of football operations) Tim Allen and (director of executive football operations) Brad Lunsford have been heavily involved in the planning process. They already have practice plans and travel itineraries set," Dantonio said on SiriusXM's College Football Playbook on Wednesday.

But getting there was a struggle, as Michigan State had an NCAA-record run of seven consecutive games decided by four points or less. The Spartans went 2-5 in that stretch and faced a win-or-else scenario heading into Minneapolis last Saturday.

"We were standing on a cliff and the players responded under pressure,'' Dantonio said. "There was a feeling of contentment in the locker room following the game.

"It was important to earn our sixth straight bowl bid, and this senior class wanted to leave their mark on the program. This team didn't want the bowl streak to end.''